Tie-plate.



PATENTED JUNE 2, 1903. B. WOLHAUPTER. A

TIE PLATE.

APPLICATION IIIZED FEB. 26, 19 )3'.

I no MODEL.

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- I UNITED STATES j Z PatentedJune 2, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

BENJAMIN WOLHAUPTER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

TIE-PLATE.

' SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 730,067, datedJuneQ, 1903.

- Application filedCEebruary 26, 1903. Serial N'o. 145,181. (No model.)

Toallwhom it may concern/.-

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN WOLHAUP- TER, of Chicago, in the county of-Oook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tie-Plates; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, andexact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in railway-tie plates which are adapted to be interposed between the rails and ties for the purpose of preventing the wearing away of the ties.

The invention consists of the matters hereinafter described, and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a plan view of a tie-plate made in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a side view thereof. Fig. 3 is a view thereof in cross-section.

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a modified form of the tie-plate shown in the other fig-' ures of the drawings.

As shown in said drawings, A indicates the horizontal portion or body of the plate, which rests upon the ties, and A a longitudinal tieengaging flange which extends downwardly from the lower surface of said body portion.

B, Fig. 2, indicates in sectional view a part of the tie on which the body of the tie-plate rests and into which the said flange A projects. Said flange A is adapted to be driven into the tie until the bodyof the plate rests firmly upon the upper surface thereof,as usual in such tie-plates and as shown in Fig. 2, theflange being driven into the ties parallel with the grain thereof, so as not to cut the fiber of the tie, and thereby weaken the same. The flange A gives stiffness to the plate and prevents the same from buckling under the heavy strain brought thereon and also aids to hold the plate in place on the tie.

Now referring more particularly to the construction of the main part or body A of the tie-plate, the same is made somewhat. thicker along its central longitudinal line than at its longitudinal side edges, thereby forming an elevated central longitudinal surface a and two oppositely-inclined surfaces a a, which slope downwardly from the said central elewhich the rail rests.

bearing surfaces for. the rail.

vated surface to the longitudinal side margins of the plate. On the upper surface of the plate are formed a plurality of separated integral protuberances or elevations a a the top surfaces of which are in the same horizontal plane or parallel with the horizontal bottom surface of the tie-plate and constitute the supporting-surfacesf'of the tie-plate, on

Said integral protuberances or elevations a a -may be disposed or spaced either regularly or irregularly over the top surface of the ti'e-plate, but are preferably arranged in a somewhat irregular manner, as shown in the drawings. Said elevations or protuberances are shown as made of circular form, as seen in plan view; but this is not essential, and they may be made of any shape that may be found convenient or desirable.

The top or bearing surfaces of the protuberancesa a maybe either located in the same plane with the central elevated part a, of the tie-plate or above the level of the same. In

Figs. 2 and 3 the tops of the bearing-surfaces or protuberances are shown as arranged at thesame level with the central elevated surface a, so that the said elevated surface as well as the tops of the protuberances serve as As shown in Fig. 4, however, the central longitudinal elevated surface a is arranged somewhat below the level of the protuberances, so that the latter aloneafford bearing-surfaces to support the rail. v

The general advantages gained by employment of the separated protuberances combined with inclined or sloping surfaces on the plate are obtained equally when the protuberances alone constitute the bearing-surfaces for the rail as in a case in which both the elevated part of the plate and said protuberances constitute such bearing-surface. Such general advantages are that when the bearing-surface of the rail is formed by separated protuberances and thetopsurface of, the

plate is sloped or inclined water, sand,'and' the like which maybe deposited on the plate are prevented from lodging between the bearing-surfaces of the rail and plate, with the result of wearing away of the rail and plate through the grinding action of the interposed foreign particles, but are allowed to escape through the open spaces afforded by said pro- 1 uberances, the inclination of the sloping surface of the plate acting to facilitate and insure the movement outwardly or toward the side margin of the plate of all such water, sand, and foreign particles. An important advantage gained by making the tie-plate thickest along its central line and with surfaces sloping downwardly from said central line, combined with a plurality of separated protuberances, is that this construction affords ample bearing-surfaces for the support of the rail and at the same time gives augmented longitudinal stiffness to the plate.

The protuberances a may be raised above the surface of the plate by casting or rolling in the usual manner, or, as shown in Fig. 4, they may be hollow on their under surfaces, so that the upper or hearing walls of the protuberances are not greatly thicker than the adjacent part of the body of the plate. This construction results in a considerable saving of metal.

The tie-plate is shown as provided with a plurality of spike-holes B B, arranged near its side edges and through which pass the spikes by which the rails are secured to the ties.

The tie-engaging flange A is shown as having vertical parallel faces a a and atits marginal part as tapered to a thin or narrow edge. This construction in the flange is preferred in order to give a better hold of the flange upon the wood of the tie, but is not essential so far as the other features in the tie-plate are concerned. The said longitudinal central flange A does not extend at its ends to the end margins of the body of the plate; but said flange terminates short of said end margins, so that the ends of the body project at a considerable distance past the ends of the flange. An important advantage gained by this feature of construction is that the ends of the tie-plate which project beyond the end margins of the flange serve to cover the parts of the wood that is broken or depressed at the ends of the flange, driving the same into the tie, and. thereby exclude water, which when the flange extends to the ends of the plate is liable to accumulate in such depres sion or broken portions, and thus lead to the rotting away of the tie or the rusting out of the flange. The tie-engaging flange when shortened or cut away at its ends, as described, will'be made continuous and sufficiently long to give the necessary longitudinal stiifness or rigidity to the tie-plate as a whole.

While I have shown the tie-plate as made thickest at its longitudinal center and provided with symmetrically arranged oppositely-sloping top surfaces, yet this particular cross-sectional form in the plate is not essential so far as the prevention of the lodgment of sand or Water between the rail and tie-plate is concerned, the main features in the construction by which the results referred to are effected being the separated protuberances forming the bearing-surfaces for the rail in connection with a sloping surface or surfaces on the tie-plate, from which said protuberanocs rise.

The feature of construction illustrated by which the plate is made thickest along its central longitudinal line and is provided with a central depending tie-engaging flange affords the advantage of giving a great degree of longitudinal stiffness in a plate of relatively small cross-sectional area and which contains a minimum weight of metal. The making of the body of the plate thickest along its center line is of advantage also in connection with a tie engaging flange which is shorter than the length of the plate, for the reason that the greater thickness of the plate at its center afiords ample stiffness in the end portions of the plate which extend beyond the tie-engaging flange to compensate for the absence of the flange at such end portions of the plate and to give ample stiffness to with stand the bearing pressure coming on the central part of the plate in the use of the latter.

I claim as my invention- 1. A tie-plate provided with a sloping upper surface, and on said surface with a plurality of separated protuberances the top surfaces of which constitute the rail-bearing surfaces of the plate.

2. A tie-plate which is thicker at its longitudinal center than at its side edges and is provided with oppositely-inclined surfaces which slope outwardly and downwardly from said thicker part to the side margins of the plate, and having on said sloping surfaces, separated protuberances, the upper surfaces of which constitute the rail-bearing surfaces of the plate.

3. A tie-plate provided on its upper surface with a central elevated longitudinal surface and inclined surfaces which slope from said elevated surface downwardly to the longitudinal side edges of the plate and having on its said sloping surfaces a plurality of separated protuberances being located in the same horizontal plane and constituting the railbearing surfaces of the tie-plate.

4. A tie-plate which is thicker at its longitudinal center than at its side edges, is of uniform thickness throughout its length both at its thicker central part and side edges, is provided with sloping top surfaces extending from said thicker central part to the said side edges and is provided with a central, longitudinal, depending, tie-engaging flange.

5. A tie-plate which is thicker along its central, longitudinal line than at its longitudinal edges, and is provided with sloping surfaces and on said sloping surfaces with separated protuberances or projections which constitute the rail-bearing surfaces of the plate and having on its under surface a central, continuous, longitudinal, depending, tie-engaging flange.

6. A tie-plate which is thicker along its central, longitudinal line than at its side edges,

and is provided with inclined surfaces which slope from its said thicker part to said side edges, and on said inclined surfaces with separated protuberances which form the rail-bearing surfaces of the plate, and having on its under surface a central, continuous, longitudinal, depending, tie-en gaging flange which terminates at its ends short of the end margins of the plate.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as 10 myinvention I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses, this 23d day of February, A. D.'1903.

BENJAMIN VVOLHAUPTER.

Witnesses TAYLOR E. BROWN, GERTRUDE BRYCE. 

